Can You Care for a Senior After a Tense Relationship?

Posted: 7/21/2017 12:20 PM by Interim HealthCare
Being a family caregiver for an elderly loved one can be one of the most important and fulfilling decisions that you can ever make in your life. After all, this is a chance for you to give back to them for the care that they have given you, to show them that you love them, and to make sure that they are getting all of the care, support, and assistance that they desire and deserve. When entering this type of care arrangement, you would hope that you would enjoy a close, meaningful, and loving relationship with your senior. This, however, is not always the case. There are times when adult children who have a tense relationship with their parents still find themselves in the position of needing to care for them. If you have found yourself in this position, it is extremely important to take the time to evaluate the situation and make the decision that is right for both of you.

Use these tips to help evaluate the situation and prepare yourself to be a family caregiver for an elderly adult after a tense relationship:

• Think of what has caused the tension. Why is your relationship with your parent not as close as you would want it to be? Has distance impacted your closeness? Do you come from a family that is not particularly affectionate? Is there some hurt in the past that is still influencing you? By identifying what is causing the tension in your relationship, you can better address it and find ways to work around it in your care arrangement.

• Work toward forgiveness. Spend some time working toward forgiveness in your relationship. This might mean talking to your aging parent about the hurts that you still carry with you from your past. You might find that you are hurting about something that you misunderstood or that did not happen, or you may be able to talk through this and begin the process of working through it and forgiving.

• Seek out help. It can be difficult to get comfortable caring for a senior when you have a tense relationship, but if you know that this is something that you want to do, seek out help. This means getting help for yourself through a support group as well as finding a care network that will help you handle the care efforts as much as possible.

If you have been looking for ways to boost your aging parent’s quality of life and help them to experience a lifestyle that is more independent, engaged, and fulfilling, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting elderly care for them. An elderly home care services provider can work with you to determine a customized schedule that ensures your senior loved one gets all of the care and assistance that they need in a way that manages their individual needs and challenges while also encouraging more independence and activity as they age in place. This not only helps to keep your parent safer, more comfortable, healthier, and happier, but it can make a tremendous difference to you as their family caregiver. Knowing that your loved one has this type of highly personalized care available to them can ease your mind, help you to manage your stress, and ensure that you have the time, energy, and effort to focus on yourself, your children, your partner, and other important elements of your life while knowing that your senior is in good hands.

More information about elderly care.